How often should I clean my Air Conditioner? 

As the cooling season arrives, you see promotions of Air Conditioner maintenance, clean up and tune up services everywhere. While you might only think that it is just the HVAC companies making their business, you should also think of how often it is important to get your system tuned and cleaned up. Usually, people don't give their systems any checkup or cleaning until they actually begin to experience compromised efficiency. It is a known fact that Air Conditioner, be it a Split Air Conditioner or Central Air Conditioner ceases to work properly even only if its filters are dirty. But when we say, cleaning, the cleaning of the entire unit is meant. So a very basic thing to understand is; Cleaning is important and you should perform the cleaning of the units thoroughly before the efficiency gets affected. Now the question is, how would you know the system should now be cleaned without the system giving any indications? Well, the formula is simple;

Everything that gets used needs maintenance and cleaning. And we know that the cooling system in your home runs more than any other electronic or electrical appliances; almost all the time. So professionals suggest, keeping this constant use in consideration that every system, be it a central air conditioning unit or a split, should be thoroughly cleaned annually, preferably at the beginning of the season in which they'll be used the most. And this is true for all; residential as well as industrial units with the exception of situations in which a system is installed at such a place where it gets overly dirty or gets used unusually more. In that particular case, the unit can be cleaned twice during the season.

Security risks associated with delaying cleaning

As said already, AC's are among the most used appliances. And since they are electrical units, delaying of necessary cleaning and maintenance can lead to security risks. For example, the dirty condenser coils, dirty fan or other components may result in a fire break out. Also, when cleaning is not performed, insects and animals set their homes in or around the units causing a threat of electrical wiring damage. And did you know, the urine of animals can actually corrode the very metal of the outdoor AC unit?
This necessitates that a thorough cleaning is performed to keep the unit a safe cooling unit.

Some precautions when cleaning

It is always preferred to seek professional help when performing annual cleaning of the Air Conditioner units but if you are already convinced by all the do it yourself tutorials, do it yourself but don't forget to follow precautions;
- Do not use random cleaning agents. Always purchase a proper cleaner that is made with the purpose to clean AC units or even if you use some dishwashing or laundry detergents, make sure they won't damage the unit.
- People prefer using a high-pressure pipe to clean units assuming this will take less time and the difficult rubbing won't be necessary. The truth is; by using very high-pressure pipes, you can end up with damaged coils or twisted fan fins.
Keep the pressure limited.
- After using any soapy thing for cleaning, do not forget to pour clean water to clean all the soapy stuff

Before the summer sun gets really hot, give your Air Conditioners a thorough cleaning in order to enjoy ultimate coolness in summers. 
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It can cause an utter distress to have hot and cold spots in your home when you are looking for absolute comfort. And guess what, this happens in the most severe temperatures. Fortunately, there are simple ways that can help resolve this air distribution problem and increase the HVAC system's efficiency. But before you get to know of resolving techniques, it is important to learn about why this temperature difference occurs.
The problem of hot and cold spots could take place because of;
- Improper zoning
- Improperly sized/designed/installed ductwork
- Duct leaks or failing insulation
- Wrong size of heating/cooling appliances

Any of the above-mentioned reasons can become the core factor in causing hot and cold spots in the indoors making summers and winters uncomfortable. Now let's discuss these causes in details and what you, as a common homeowner can do about fixing the hot/cold spots.

Improper zoning 

A zoning system allows heating/cooling of several zones/areas at different temperatures. This happens by changing damper settings of different zones in order to allow a certain airflow to a certain area and a different one to another. But since, zoning requires proper setting in the ductwork and the zones are controlled via thermostats so the thermostat settings matter as well. As mentioned, zoning is for multiple temperatures within the home, it is clear that you'll have different temperatures in different rooms but having a weird temperature that irritates is a different thing. And that is what we usually call hot and cold spots. There are two possibilities;
- A problem with the dampers
- Thermostat settings that might have gone wrong
Check the Thermostat settings of each zone. If the problem persists, call a pro to check the ductwork and dampers.

Improperly sized/designed/installed ductwork 

Some people think ductwork is just a ductwork. You can have a piece of foil and can just allow the airflow towards the indoor. It is not as simple as that. The size of the ductwork matters a lot. And not only the size, the design and the way it is installed also affects the airflow. So if you just had your ductwork installed and are now facing hot/cold spots problem, it could be a problematic ductwork. You can quickly make a google search to learn some basics of ductwork and then call a professional HVAC technician to discuss the problem.

Duct leaks or failing insulation 

The duct that comes to your room has insulation failure or some major leaks while the ductwork that extends to your daughter's room is all set, what do you think will be the outcome? Similar cooling/heating? Of course not. A major part of the cool/warm air reaching your room gets lost via the leaks and the uninsulated areas. What you receive is the residue. As a result, despite having one temperature for the entire home, a massive difference in the temperatures of yours and your daughter's rooms can easily be felt. Fix it!

Wrong size of heating and cooling appliances 

Did you know that many homeowners never think seriously about the size of the appliance they purchase? It is not only accommodation problem that matters so don't assume that having a large backyard, you can have a giant AC unit while your indoor is not a very large area. Size matters and it not only affects your energy bills, it affects the comfort as well. A very small size has a problem covering your indoor. So before your entire area cools, the system gets tired and leaves you with hot and cold spots. Similarly, an overly large unit trips too often creating a discomforting indoor.
If you are already done checking for all the other reasons, check if you are using the right appliance size.    

Are you facing hot and cold spots that are keeping you restless? Connect with us today and have your issue resolved at the most affordable service charges.